1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feeding device and an image recording apparatus having a mechanism for sending a sheet with an image recorded on one side thereof back to the recording unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, feeding devices capable of switching the traveling direction of the sheet to feed to another path are known. In such a feeding device, a rotating member rotates after a trailing end of the sheet conveyed in a first conveying path has passed through, the traveling direction is switched, and the trailing end of the sheet, which is reversed and becomes a new leading end of the sheet, contacts the rotated rotating member to be guided to a second conveying path.
In such a feeding device, since the trailing end of the sheet is reversed and becomes a new leading end of the sheet, and contacts the rotated rotating member to be guided to a second conveying path, the trailing end of the sheet is at risk of being damaged when it contacts the rotating member. Furthermore, since the rotating member does not rotate until the trailing end of the sheet has passed through the rotating member, a certain distance to a reversing roller which switches the traveling direction of the sheet is necessary, resulting in a problem in that a device becomes larger in size.